The present invention relates to a novel composition for removing nail lacquer and in particular the present invention relates to a novel base utilizing more water and less solvent than is conventionally used in leading nail polish remover compositions.
Many compositions are known which are useful in removing lacquer from fingernails or toenails. These compositions depend primarily upon the solvent action of acetone or an acetone-like solvent to soften or dissolve the nail lacquer. After the lacquer has been dissolved or softened, it is usually removed by a gentle abrasive or by a gentle rubbing action.
In addition to acetone, ethyl acetate is a well known solvent used in nail polish removers.
These solvents readily remove the nail lacquer. However, when used alone they have a dehydrating effect on the nails of the user, rendering the nail dry, hard and susceptible to cracking and breaking.
Usually the solvents used in commercial nail polish removers all contain other materials, such as water and/or various oils, which not only lower the dehydrating effect of the solvents, but also are believed to lower the enamel dissolving efficiency of the solvents.
I unexpectedly discovered that uses of enamel removal solvents of the ethyl acetate and acetone types in amounts substantially below those amounts formally considered efficacious result in superior bases for lacquer removers. Specifically, I have found that amounts of ethyl acetate in the range of 60-81% combined with 19-35% water and alcohol combinations result in a superior nail polish remover base which does not have drying effects on the skin or cause whitening of the nails. I also have found that with acetone based lacquer removers, a superior polish remover base is formed when 60-84% acetone is combined with 21-35% water to form a nail polish remover base. Preferably my new base contains less than about 70% acetone or ethyl acetate and up to about 30% water, ethanol, isopropanol or mixtures thereof.
Accordingly, a principal object of this invention is to provide novel nail polish remover bases which utilize substantially more water and less solvent and to minimize the dehydration of skin and nails to which they are applied. Another object of this invention is to provide a nail polish remover base which has economic advantages and which result in an efficacious product without skin drying or nail whitening properties.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,662 of which I am the inventor and which is assigned to the assignee of this application describes a lacquer remover having a hydrolyzed soy protein in combination with 82-88% ethyl acetate or 85-90% acetone and a surfactant.
I also am aware of U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,037 which claims to lower water removal activity of acetone base nail polish removers by adding collagen in combination with an acid addition salt of amidized trialkylamine cationic surfactant.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,032,464 describes a creamy nail lacquer remover containing a chelating agent, a suitable humectant, such as propylene glycol, 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-benzophenone-5-sulfonic acid, a collagen-derived protein-fatty acid condensation product and a carboxy vinyl polymer. This material too has an acetone base.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,765,257 shows a combination of solvent and sulfonated mineral oil in which the solvent includes acetone, butyl acetate, dibutyl phthalate and butyl acetyl ricinoleate.
This invention involves a base for nail polish removers which contains less than 79% acetone or less than 81% ethyl acetate as a main solvent and the remainder of the solvent base comprises water or a mixture of water and ethanol or isopropanol in the case of ethyl acetate. To this base are conventionally added conditioners which may be a water soluable amine salt of a fatty acid amide of a hydrolyzed soy protein or an amidized hydrolyzed collagen derivative which renders the hydrolyzed collagen anionic, a surfactant, and suitable perfumes and coloring agents, viscosity raising agents, emolients, etc.
Conventionally a film forming material, such as nitrocellulose, is incorporated into nail polish removers to inhibit moisture loss from the nails. It is another object of this invention to obviate the necessity for using such added expensive ingredients.
These and other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter.